CTS Blog and Articles

The endurance athlete's source for information on training, nutrition, motivation, strategy, and more.

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Correcting the Biggest Mistake Cyclists and Triathletes Make on Climbs

Weekend Reading: Why Base Training in Winter Will Never Make You Fast

By Jim Rutberg, CTS Pro Coach and co-author of “The Time-Crunched Cyclist” and “The Time-Crunched Triathlete” I would love to build a huge aerobic base the old fashioned way, but I love my wife and I’m pretty fond of my kids and my career. To ride 12-20 hours a week these days I would…

Posted: December 26, 2014

Author: CTS

The 3 Best Sub-60 Minute Indoor Cycling Workouts

By CTS Pro Coach Jim Rutberg Let’s face it; there are times when indoor training is a lot more convenient – and potentially more effective – than riding outdoors. As I’ve moved from being a bike racer with unlimited training time to a working parent and career professional I’ve learned to embrace indoor cycling…

Posted: December 22, 2014

Author: CTS

Weekend Reading: Meaningful Gifts for the Endurance Athlete in Your Life

As I’ve gotten older I’ve noted a shift in the way I look at gifts. Sure, I still buy little niceties like a sweater or bottle of wine for people, but these days I’m not buying as many wrappable items for the people who mean the most to me. I want my gifts for these…

Posted: December 20, 2014

Author: CTS

6 Tip to Improve Your Climbing Performance

Pretty much every cyclist we talk to wants to go uphill faster. And while we spend a lot of time focused on increasing power output and reducing bodyweight, these two things only give you the capacity – the potential – to go faster uphill. Actually riding faster on a climb comes down to applying your…

Posted: December 18, 2014

Author: CTS

Insider Course Details and Tune-Up Workouts for the 2015 US Cyclocross National Championships in Austin, Texas

By CTS Coach Josh Whitmore By this time of year, regional cyclocross races are winding down and many of you have season ending goals to peak for the Cyclocross National Championships January 7-11th, hosted this year at Zilker Park in Austin, TX. The few week lull in racing over the holidays offers a great…

Posted: December 17, 2014

Author: CTS

Weekend Reading: Do You Need to Drink as Much During Cold Weather Workouts?

One of the data points we monitor with a lot of athletes is how much fluid they consume during workouts. When temperatures drop, we often see a decrease in the amount of fluid they consume per hour and per workout. When we point it out to the athlete, the response is often a question:…

Posted: December 12, 2014

Author: CTS

Weekend Reading: Do These 4 Things in December to Have a Great January

January is traditionally when endurance athletes in the Northern Hemisphere dig in and recommit themselves to goal-oriented training. The months of November and December are often less structured, even for time-crunched athletes who rely more heavily on shorter, higher-intensity workouts to maintain and improve fitness. It’s a smart idea to think of the next…

Posted: December 5, 2014

Author: CTS

Weekend Reading: Thanksgiving Weekend Message

I hope you are all enjoying a safe and active Thanksgiving weekend, and that you got a chance to spend the holiday with your family and friends. Thanksgiving is perhaps my favorite holiday, not necessarily because of its historical beginnings but because it makes me remember big Thanksgiving family gatherings and look forward to more…

Posted: November 29, 2014

Author: CTS

Weekend Reading: A Special Challenge and Tips for Thanksgiving Week

It’s Thanksgiving Challenge time! I’ve been pleased to see this off-the-cuff idea from a few years ago starting to gain some momentum and I hope you’ll join me in using this holiday week for a great training block and spending time with family and friends. To go along with the challenge, I also have some…

Posted: November 21, 2014

Author: CTS

Why Every Workout Counts Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s

This is the time of year that defines an athlete. Anyone can get excited about going for a ride on a sunny, 75-degree day in the spring or summer. It takes quite a bit more dedication to bundle up and head out the door on a cold morning in November/December/January. And when the weather keeps…